A four-step hypnotherapy model for Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome

Hypnotherapy may sometimes be helpful in ameliorating the behavioral characteristics of Tourette's Syndrome. This paper presents a case study of an adolescent male with Tourette's Syndrome who was referred by his physician for hypnotherapy for his disorder. A four-step treatment model involved progressive relaxation, finger-tip temperature feedback using a biotic finger band, Spiegel's eye-roll procedure, and imagery. The adolescent was in treatment for nine sessions, from October 1985 to March 1986, a period of 6 months. At the end of the nine sessions, his tics and vocalizations were minimal to nonexistent and he was discharged. A follow-up report 6 months later indicated that he had applied for the Air Force and had been accepted with no mention of Tourette's Syndrome as an issue during his Air Force examination.